la dolce Vita — Tuscany

Tuscany May 5-12, 2023

La Dolce Vita— a Tuscan Retreat & House Party

Ah, The Sweet Life!  After the road trips, the museums, and the shopping, what comes next? I knew I wanted to taste Italy again and cook in a kitchen and be in the company of good people. We need to return to the long-lasting love affair with Italy and its food, language, people, and landscapes. Dishes of simple handmade pasta and endless apertivos, gelato and cream-filled pastries, and the everyday sweetness of life and the time to enjoy it.  It’s been too long Italy… here we come! 

Picture a brightly lit and roomy 17th-century Italian villa under shady parasol pines; a quiet room with a private bath in which to sleep soundly and recover from everyday life; delicious food and great wines made by our own hands in our own kitchen; a red stove!; gentle drives to family restaurants across beautiful Tuscan landscapes; the music of Italian conversations on a terrace with a chilled Prosecco in hand. Time for shopping. Time for a nap or read a book. Time for making new friends!

Join me this coming May 5-12 2023 for a full week of living the slow life in…Tuscany. Together with my good friends Maurine Fischel and Judy Witts Francini, we are hosting a week-long house party based in the beautiful Villa O near Certaldo in Chianti, just 50 minutes from Florence and Siena. As the hometown girl, Judy will orchestrate the visits and cooking classes; Maurine and I will make sure you are comfortable at the Villa and that the aperitivo bar stays well-stocked. Together, we will introduce you to the Tuscany slow living we love—olive oil and balsamico tastings, cheese-making and salumi, market mornings and local shopping, and artisans creators of delightful ceramics, leather, and kitchen wares. And, of course, our favorite restaurants from Cibreo’s in Florence to Dario Cecchini’s meat emporium in Panzano.

We’ll gather in Firenze (Florence) at the Grand Hotel Baglioni for a celebratory first dinner on Friday May 5 and the next day for a morning tasting tour at the San Lorenzo market with expert guide and long-time Tuscan resident Judy Witts Francini (https://divinacucina.com/). Our hotel is near the train station and the center of shopping and museum visits so if you come a few days early, we’ll provide a self-guided City Map of all the top destinations. Our driver will take us to Certaldo and Villa O where we’ll unpack for the next six nights of convivial Tuscan living in luxurious surroundings. The driver will be available throughout the week for planned and impromptu outings. And then we’ll return to Firenze on Friday May 12, around noon (All forward travel- planes, trains, etc--should be planned for no earlier than the afternoon). 

Costs: 6950€ per person 7 nights; sharing a room 6350€. 

Costs Include: 7 nights accommodation; all breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 dinners; aperitivo bar, 2 cooking classes, local transportation to and from Florence-Villa and for villa outings.

Costs does not include: other transportation to and from the meeting point or independent outings; laundry and other personal expenses, gratuities.

Travel suggestions: 

Flights into Rome Fiumicino Airport connect with the new train service directly to Florence. There is also European connections to Florence and Pisa airports. Please plan onward travel at the end of the week for after-noon departures from Florence on May 12 or later. Please confirm your travel plans with us before you book.

For more information or questions please contact Kate at katehill.france@gmail.com